(June 30, 2011 at 7:26 pm)Rhythm Wrote:
I read the link you posted and will say that I disagree with it. First though I want to say that I'm aware of the wars and violence in the Bible I did not mean that you could not use it as an argument, I was trying to keep some perspective on what is being discussed here, to go into the wars of Joshua and others would get us side tracked from the issue of what is a christian or better stated who is a christian.
The Bible is very clear on what is envolved in becoming a christian and how a christian can be identified. Throughout Pauls writings he states that by faith and grace alone is there salvation and that it can not be obtained by works or living a good life, which is impossible by God's standards, the OT is proof of that. Nowhere in the NT is there a different way stated that salvation can be obtained. Christ stated that no one can come to the Father except through Me, this statement is supported by what Paul writes and for that matter what is stated in the books of the NT. Again I will say, Christ gave His life that anyone who desired could have eternal life and this is what John 3:16 says. So to say that there is another way to salvation one needs to disprove what Christ says and much of what is written in the NT books.
Who is a christian, well it is simple I believe, one must have salvation according to the scriptures not what people want to believe, the only ones who are saved have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, Christ also said that we could know them by their works and He did not mean that works are what saves people, works are the resulting actions of one who is saved. What kind of works was Christ talking about, doing the will of God, not going out on one's own and doing good deeds there is a big difference. People that say that works saves or that those who sin to often are not saved have a great problem, they need to define what is enough or what is to much and according to scripture only God could know these things and that He and He alone is judge, so to over come this they would have to put theirselves equal to God and that's just not possible. Now I think there is only one other thing to look at and that is the "gift". Salvation is called by God a gift and a gift is free that is unearned so this would completely eliminate works, baptisim or any other thing that would supersede faith and grace (grace being unmeritted love). So any church, denomination, person and ect. that claims to be of true christianity must conform to scriptures or as Paul says they are wolves in sheeps clothing.
There are many arguments about what is true salvation but one only need to study the NT to see what salvation is and how one comes under it's grace.
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
